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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. march — music
  4. scale — in music
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com